Two slain Wednesday

Two city residents were murdered Wednesday, continuing a violent spring for New Haven.

Two men were shot just after midnight in apparently unrelated incidents, New Haven Police Department Spokesman Joseph Avery said in a press release. Officers found Kevin Lee, 34, with three gunshot wounds on the front porch of 505 Valley St. in the Westville neighborhood at 12:27 a.m.. Just 20 minutes later, patrol officers responded to the Cinque Green apartment complexes across from Union Station and located Isaiah Gant, 23, suffering from an gunshot wound to the head. Both men were found dead on the scene, marking New Haven’s 12th and 13th murder victims of the year, matching 2009’s total, and on pace to exceed 2010’s 24 homicides.

“Gun violence is unacceptable we need to do more with our criminal justice agencies on local, state, and federal level to address this issue and the issue of offenders returning to our community,” NHPD Chief Frank Limon said in a press release.

These murders come less than a week after a 17 year-old was killed in the Dixwell neighborhhod April 16. Since the beginning of March, New Haven has seen nine homicides — the highest two-month total since at least 2003.

Last week, prior to the three most recent murders, Limon told the News that the city’s homicide figures are inflated by a double domestic homicide and a triple arson, both types of crimes which Limon said it is difficult for the NHPD to prevent. Limon said his primary goal is to increase the number of homicide arrests to create a deterrent effect — keeping murderers off the streets and showing that crime pays.

Avery said that although detectives are still gathering facts and can not release details at the time, investigators have already identified suspects in both incidents.

Officers found marijuana and drug packaging materials inside of the building where Lee was found, Avery said. He added that Kenmonah Gibson, the owner of the residence, did not cooperate with investigators regarding details of the incident and has been arrested and charged with multiple drug violations.

Gant was reportedly involved in an argument with a subject just prior to the shooting. Both Lee and Gant have criminal records, Avery said.

April was the deadliest month last year with five murders, a spree that immediately preceeded Limon’s Apr. 5 swearing-in ceremony.

Comments

smartypants79

“Limon said his primary goal is to increase the number of homicide arrests to create a deterrent effect — keeping murderers off the streets and showing that crime pays.”

This is a typo that underlines the problems of crime and law enforcement in New Haven–crime is not punished, which shows that “crime pays.” Your bike gets stolen? so what. Your car gets stolen? so what. Pull people over who run red lights? Noo…. People in your neighborhood are murdered? Why should you talk to the police about that!

New Haven is basically a lawless place. Those of us who haven’t turned to a life of crime are the chumps. If this city will ever be truly live-able, crimes must be punished, and as a result, deterred from being committed more widely.

JuJu83

I read the YDS several times weekly and I haven’t commented until now. I’m writing because I’m really stunned by New Haven’s 13 homicides – it’s only April. The summer is when New Haven really goes bananas with murders, as long-time Yalies and New Haveners will attest.

In 2010, following grad school, I moved from New Haven, CT, to Springfield, Massachusetts. Honestly, I didn’t know what to expect–whether it was a move up, down, or sideways. I’d heard that Springfield was a bohemian city with nice architecture — like New Haven, but cheaper.

Springfield’s gone about revitalizing in a different way than New Haven — it has been less University-based. Springfield’s resurgence only started 5 years ago, and it has had more to do with bohemians, artists, and a large LGBT influx–people looking for cheap rents and nice architecture so they can live as artists without the hassle of big-time rents.

Springfield has nearly 25,000 more residents than New Haven — and currently, as of today, 2011, Springfield has less than half the number of homicides that NH does (6 vs. 13.) I write this not to make a qualitative point about the cities–far from it–but I’m wondering: what is going on down there in my old hometown? It wasn’t this way two years ago.

I love New Haven and I want it to succeed, just as I’m starting to love Springfield. In my opinion, It’s up to us to work as a team to make sure that these revitalizing cities don’t slip back into the old patterns that left them on life-support as recently as 10 years ago.

Cities like New Haven and Springfield are important. They can be great places to live–big enough to have everything you want, but small enough to feel a real sense of community. I don’t want all of our city’s progress to go down the tubes.

I’m excited for the New Haven-Springfield high speed commuter rail line because, in my opinion, it could unite the urban areas — 45 min to get to New Haven or Springfield? I’ll take it! However, if the crime rate continues, these huge, potentially catalytic projects could be discontinued.